Read descriptions of Phantom and Misty, her colt, from the book. Then pass out pencils, paper and colored pencils, crayons or markers for the children to draw and color in the pair of wild ponies. Have the children add the background landscape of Assateague Island's sandy beach, dunes and sea grasses to complete their drawings.
Teach children about Chincoteague and the wild ponies of Assateague Island by creating a "where in the world poster." Glue a map of the United States onto a large piece of poster board. Indicate the location of Chincoteague on the map, near Ocean City, Maryland, and your location on the map. Cut out pony shapes from another piece of poster board and use them to track the distance from your location to Chincoteague. Have each pony shape represent a specific distance in miles. Tack the shapes to the poster board along a route from your location to Chincoteague.
Visit Chincoteague and tour Assateague Island if you live close enough. Take children on a field trip to explore the pristine island where wild ponies still roam. Bring along binoculars so children can get a good look at the ponies and cameras to take pictures. When you return to the classroom, have children write their own stories about visiting the island and its ponies. If you can't visit the island, take a virtual tour on the AssateagueIsland.com website. Print out photos of the ponies and information for children to use in creating their stories. Make covers for the books from card stock and have the children decorate them with pictures or drawings of the ponies.
Make an etching of a pony on aluminum foil. Wrap a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil, folding it over the edges to secure it in place. Mix a few drops of dish soap with a dab of acrylic paint and brush the mixture over the aluminum foil. Allow the paint to dry completely. Then use a craft stick to create an etching of a pony by scraping away the paint. Glue the finished etching to a piece of poster board or card stock.